In early gaming environments, gaming machines were stand-alone devices. Security of the gaming machines was accomplished via physical locks, security protocols, security personnel, physical and video monitoring, and the need to be physically present at a machine to attempt to breach the security of the gaming machine. By the same token, management of the gaming machines required a great deal of personal physical interaction with each gaming machine. The ability to change parameters of the gaming machine also required physical interaction.
In view of the increased processing power and availability of computing devices, gaming machines have become customizable via electronic communications and remotely controllable. Manufacturers of gaming equipment have taken advantage of the increased functionality of gaming machines by adding additional features to gaming machines, thereby maintaining a player's attention to the gaming machines for longer periods of time increasing minimum bet and bet frequency and speed of play. This, in turn, leads to the player wagering at the gaming machine for longer periods of time, with more money at a faster pace, thereby increasing owner profits.
For example, a casino floor may include thousands of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that are in communication with and monitored by the casino's gaming network. EGMs provide an enhanced gaming experience with computer graphics, stereo sound, animation, and other features that have been developed to maintain player interest in the game. Furthermore, EGMs may include secondary networked devices such as player tracking devices or enhanced player interfaces (e.g., Bally Gaming's iView™ touch-screen display). Accordingly, there are a large number of EGMs and related components that need to be monitored, maintained, and serviced.
The amount of interactivity and data presentation/collection possible with current processor based gaming machines has led to a desire to connect gaming machines in a gaming network. In addition to the gaming machines themselves, a number of devices associated with a gaming machine or with a group of gaming machines may be part of the network. It has become important for the devices within a gaming machine or cabinet to be aware of each other and to be able to communicate to a control server. Not only is the presence or absence of a network device important, but also the physical location of the device and the ability to associate devices within a particular gaming machine has become a necessary component of a gaming network.
Currently, casino operators use manual methods to alter content or to reconfigure EGMs and/or other secondary networked devices. For example, a casino employee would need to physically swap out an EPROM to change game content or the employee would need to access an attendant menu on the EGM to alter game configurations. Given the large number of machines and networked devices, this process is a time-consuming and costly process not only in terms of operating and/or maintenance costs, but also in terms of lost profits due to extended downtime for the EGMs. Similarly, existing approaches for software updates or downloads for EGMs are labor-intensive and costly as the EGMs. For example, a technician typically needs to travel to the gaming machine in order to replace existing software package media (e.g., EPROMs, CD-ROM's, Compact Flash, etc.) with new software package media. Furthermore, the software package update process may require that the EGM be disabled hours in advance to prevent any players from using the EGM when the technician is ready to perform software package changes. Alternatively, EGMs may be disabled prior to software package updates, but the technician must periodically check to ensure that the EGM(s) are not being used by a player. Additionally, technicians may need to be supervised during the process of software package installation as the technician has access to critical areas of the EGM required for configuration or of those areas of containing cash.
Accordingly, there remains a need to provide a system for managing groups of electronic gaming machines and other networked components.